Researchers At Boston University Found Signs Of CTE In Aaron Hernandez’s Brain

The deceased former NFL player, Aaron Hernandez, had his brain sent to Boston University where researchers found signs of Stage 3 CTE.

Attorney Jose Baez, who is in charge of the deceased former NFL player Aaron Hernandez’s estate, has announced that researchers at Boston University found signs of Stage 3 CTE in his brain. The University’s CTE Center, which is considered one of the most comprehensive research labs for the degenerative brain disease, released a statement saying Hernandez had Stage 3 CTE.

Attaching a graphic, which you can see below, Boston University showed that Hernandez’s brain has “atrophy and large perforations.”

Source: Boston University

Baez also announced plans to file a federal lawsuit against the NFL and the New England Patriots on behalf of Hernandez’s daughter. The former Pats football player was found not guilty on double homicide charges in April of this year. He was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder in a separate trial that took place in 2015.

Five days after the verdict, Hernandez was found dead in his cell of an apparent suicide.
Hernandez’s existing murder conviction was vacated because he did not go through the automatic appeals process that would have confirmed or overturned his 2015 conviction.

Finding signs of CTE in Hernandez’s brain adds to the growing list of former football players who have been found to have the disease. Out of 111 brains of former NFL players, a recent study reports that 110 of those donated to the BU CTE Center had some form of CTE.

CTE can only be diagnosed post-mortem, as the disease is believed to be caused by repetitive sub-concussive hits to the head. Behavorial symptoms of people with CTE include depression, emotional instability, anger, violence and memory loss.